'Canelo' Alvarez won't fight again until May 4, promoter says

Canelo Alvarez lands a left to the head of Josesito Lopez during their WBC… (Josh Hedges / Getty Images )

Saul "Canelo" Alvarez has told his promoter he doesn't want to fight until Cinco de Mayo weekend, and wants his opponent to be either unbeaten world welterweight champion Floyd Mayweather Jr., former super-welterweight champion Miguel Cotto or middleweight champion Sergio Martinez.

Alvarez's promoter, Richard Schaefer, told The Times on Tuesday that "Canelo" rejected attempts to have him fight in January on the heels of his dominant fifth-round technical knockout of Josesito Lopez on Sept. 15 in Las Vegas.

Schaefer said the 22-year-old Mexican star Alvarez (41-0, 30 knockouts) "came at me like a pistol" in declining a lesser bout in the winter, demanding the bigger pay-per-view bout that Schaefer said will be at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Cotto (37-3, 30 KOs) is the likely favorite to land Alvarez as long as he can defeat unbeaten super-welterweight champion Austin Trout on Dec. 1 at Madison Square Garden.

Mayweather (42-0) hasn't fought since defeating Cotto by unanimous decision May 5 in Las Vegas. Mayweather served a jail term during the summer, and Schaefer said he has been in "constant communication" with the fighter recently, declining to reveal fight plans.

Martinez defeated Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. by unanimous decision Sept. 15. He's recovering from knee and hand injuries but should be ready to fight again by the spring.